Japan Reacts

Category: News

  • Lawson’s ¥397 Bento Draws Overpriced Complaints — 5ch: “It’s Basically a Fancy Rice Ball”

    Lawson’s new “One-Point Focus” bento lineup has become a hot topic on 5ch. The teriyaki sausage bento costs ¥397 (tax included) and the salmon “bodakko” bento costs ¥297, with the idea being to cut costs by limiting each bento to a single main ingredient. On the thread, many complained the bentos felt overpriced — “not worth the price,” “can’t believe this got turned into a product” — while others defended them, saying “it’s basically a fancy rice ball, right?” Opinions were split over how convenience store bentos are priced these days.

    Lawson’s “One-Point Focus” bento: 50% cheaper by limiting to one ingredient — 13 items in the new “contrast consumption” lineup

    Source: watch.impress.co.jp / Read the original article

    4AnonymousSep 18, 2026 14:43
    "Total One-Point Focus! Rice Piled High with Teriyaki Sausage" — ¥397 (tax included)

    "Total One-Point Focus! Rice You Can't Stop Eating with Bodakko (Salmon)" — ¥297 (tax included)
    5AnonymousSep 18, 2026 14:45
    6AnonymousSep 18, 2026 14:46
    Teriyaki needs mayo. Lawson dropped the ball on this one.
    9AnonymousSep 18, 2026 14:50
    It's basically a fancy rice ball, right?
    12AnonymousSep 18, 2026 14:52
    13AnonymousSep 18, 2026 14:52
    Isn't this different from the sausage bento they had before?
    15AnonymousSep 18, 2026 14:55
    Don Quijote's ¥250 rice bowl was actually good.
    https://www.donki.com/products/nikodon/
    16AnonymousSep 18, 2026 14:55
    I think the budget Lawson 100 stores were selling like 3 sausages for ¥198.
    17AnonymousSep 18, 2026 14:56
    Even within Lawson, the Lawson 100 stores would've sold this for ¥200.
    18AnonymousSep 18, 2026 14:57
    You only buy a convenience store bento when there's genuinely nothing else to eat and you have no choice. Otherwise nobody's buying this — it's not worth the price.
    21AnonymousSep 18, 2026 15:01
    I'm not saying it's expensive because I can't afford it, I'm saying the contents don't match the price.
    22AnonymousSep 18, 2026 15:02
    A poor country, that something like this gets turned into a product.
    23AnonymousSep 18, 2026 15:03
    As someone who piles up sausage and bacon at hotel breakfast buffets, this is right up my alley.
    24AnonymousSep 18, 2026 15:04
    You'd be better off just buying regular sausages. This looks gross and unappetizing anyway.
    25AnonymousSep 18, 2026 15:07
    Is the grilled corn actually grilled properly?
    27AnonymousSep 18, 2026 15:08
    Old rice is fine, I just want a huge portion of it.
    28AnonymousSep 18, 2026 15:08
    I can't eat salami, so just looking at a cross-section of coarse-ground sausage makes me queasy.
    29AnonymousSep 18, 2026 15:12
    If this is all you buy and eat, it looks pretty sad, but add a side dish or two and it'll look luxurious.
    30AnonymousSep 18, 2026 15:14
    Ever since Putin invaded Ukraine, prices have shot up sharply within just a few years, and people all over the world are struggling and frustrated about it.
    31AnonymousSep 18, 2026 15:14
    A cheap bento that's a one-way ticket to colon cancer.
    33AnonymousSep 18, 2026 15:15
    This is something I'd rather foreign tourists never find out about.
    34AnonymousSep 18, 2026 15:15
    You're better off just buying Shauessen sausages at the supermarket. (a popular Nippon Ham sausage brand)
    36AnonymousSep 18, 2026 15:17
    Isn't there way too little salmon?
    42AnonymousSep 18, 2026 15:23
    Re: #36
    There's about 10 times more than the original bodakko has.
    But the flavor is probably less than 1/10 as good.
    37AnonymousSep 18, 2026 15:18
    39AnonymousSep 18, 2026 15:19
    When it comes to shady convenience stores, 7-Eleven is by far the most notorious, but back in the day Lawson pulled plenty of shady stuff too.
    41AnonymousSep 18, 2026 15:22
    I hate these gimmicky bento series that Don Quijote and others keep doing too.
    44AnonymousSep 18, 2026 15:24
    Anyone who pays ¥400 for this bento must have some special circumstances.
    45AnonymousSep 18, 2026 15:24



    47AnonymousSep 18, 2026 15:27
    Re: #45
    Oops, wrong link.
    46AnonymousSep 18, 2026 15:26
    This is the kind of thing a tradesman eats for lunch inside his Hiace van. (a Toyota van popular with laborers and tradespeople)
    49AnonymousSep 18, 2026 15:29
    The ¥400 one with processed meat on rice is the best of the bunch.
    53AnonymousSep 18, 2026 15:42
    When it comes to sausages, Shauessen is by far the tastiest.
    56AnonymousSep 18, 2026 15:45
    I'd only consider buying it at half price — and that's just the sausage one.
    57AnonymousSep 18, 2026 15:49


    This is what the original bodakko bento actually looks like.
    It's ridiculously salty, so this amount is plenty to finish a whole bowl of rice.

    Background and Key Points of the Debate

    Lawson’s “One-Point Focus” bento is positioned as a “contrast consumption” concept — cutting costs elsewhere by limiting the bento to a single main ingredient. The main point of contention on the thread was how overpriced it feels compared to Lawson’s own budget “Lawson 100” chain and bentos from other retailers, with opinions split over whether the price matches the amount of food. At the same time, some comments — like the “it’s basically a fancy rice ball” comparison — showed a degree of understanding for the idea of narrowing a bento down to just one ingredient. Underneath it all is frustration over price hikes and inflation, suggesting the backlash is less about this specific product and more a flashpoint for broader unease over how convenience store bentos are priced these days.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “Lawson’s Sausage Bento, This Is Gonna Sell.”

  • Husband Exposed by Wife for Simply Inviting Her to Bed — 5ch: “I Wish He’d Fake It, Then Just Sleep Downstairs”

    A thread posted to 5ch’s “Nandemo Jikkyo G” (a general live-discussion board) tells the story of a husband who got publicly “exposed” by his wife for nothing more than inviting her to have sex. The thread grew into a wider debate about the lack of communication in marriage and what married life should really look like. Commenters offered concrete avoidance tactics — like “I wish he’d pretend to go along with it, then just sleep downstairs” — while others argued the real problem wasn’t the sex itself but everyday housework and conversation. When someone posted an image comparing the pros and cons of marriage, the discussion expanded into a debate over whether marriage itself is even worth it.

    9AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:09
    And you just know their profile picture is some 'happy family' photo, too.
    11AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:09
    I wish he'd pretend to go along with it, then just go sleep downstairs.
    13AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:10
    Is it actually legal to expose something as sensitive as a sexual invitation in a public space like this? I guess it's probably fine as long as it's anonymous and nobody can be identified.
    42AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:22
    What's the point of getting married anyway? Isn't it basically just to get laid?
    43AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:23
    She looks thrilled to have been asked — 'Look at me, look at me, he wants me!'
    45AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:23
    Pretty full of herself for someone who gets fed by him.
    46AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:24
    Re: #40
    Because being married makes people see you as a full-fledged adult.
    80AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:01
    Re: #46
    That's basically society discriminating unfairly based on marital status, when you think about it.
    53AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:27
    Re: #40
    If marriage goes well, you win everything; if it fails, you get this. Married men are basically gamblers.
    77AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:59
    Re: #60
    I guess that's about it? As far as downsides — or rather, concerns — go.
    81AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:01
    Re: #77
    Not being able to have kids is probably the biggest difference.
    82AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:02
    You guys still want to get married after seeing this?
    84AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:03
    Re: #82
    It's not about wanting to — I'm already married.
    87AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:04
    Re: #82
    Already married, so.
    107AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:36
    Re: #82
    Already married — and normally you actually communicate with your spouse before you get married…

    Background and Talking Points

    Stories like this — a spouse’s words getting publicly “exposed” on social media — come up regularly on 5ch, but whether it’s appropriate to publicize private exchanges, even with names redacted, is debated every time. As commenter No. 13 pointed out, there’s actually no clear legal line for how publicizing something as personal as a sexual invitation would be treated. In this thread too, opinions split between sympathy for the exposed husband and pushback along the lines of “well, of course he got exposed — he’s clearly not pulling his weight with housework and conversation.” It wasn’t a simple case of one side being right. The debate then broadened further after someone posted an image comparing the pros and cons of marriage, shifting the conversation from the invitation itself to whether marriage makes economic sense as a life choice at all.

    ※This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “[Sad News] Husband Gets Exposed by Wife Just for Inviting Her to Bed wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww” (note: the repeated “w” is Japanese internet shorthand for laughter, similar to “lol”).

  • Ieyasu Is a Huge Hit in China, But Unpopular in Japan? 5ch Debates Why

    In China, a historical novel starring Tokugawa Ieyasu has become a massive hit, reportedly hailing him as “the greatest figure in Japanese history, surpassing even Nobunaga and Hideyoshi.” The BBC in Britain also produced a special program on Ieyasu, praising his achievements as “comparable to Caesar’s.” A thread that opened with this news sparked discussion of the gap between his glowing reputation abroad and his lukewarm image at home in Japan, where he’s often dismissed as a “crafty old fox” who merely “snatched the rice cake others had pounded.” Opinions among 5ch users were divided, citing factors like the Meiji government’s founding stance of delegitimizing the Edo shogunate, the tendency for post-unification rulers to make for duller stories than Sengoku-era heroes, and comparisons with Hideyoshi — while others pointed to concrete achievements like Edo’s flood-control works and the red-seal trading ships that continued even under national seclusion.

    1AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:02
    In China, a historical novel about Ieyasu has become an unprecedented, explosive hit, with him praised as "the greatest figure in Japanese history" — far outstripping Nobunaga and Hideyoshi in popularity and name recognition.
    The BBC in Britain even produced a lengthy program celebrating Ieyasu, showering him with the highest praise as an achievement "comparable to Caesar's."
    Given how highly he's regarded overseas, why is Ieyasu so unpopular and underrated back home in Japan?
    5AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:03
    There are a lot of Nobunaga fans in Japan.
    There was a postwar trend of hyping up Hideyoshi, but in the end it's always Nobunaga.
    7AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:03
    In Japan he's stuck with the image of a crafty old fox who just snatched up the rice cake that Nobunaga and Hideyoshi had already pounded.
    In reality his work building up the governing system was probably amazing, though.
    10AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:05
    He just sat down and ate the rice cake other people kneaded and pounded. (A reference to a famous saying: Nobunaga pounded the rice cake of unification, Hideyoshi kneaded it, and Ieyasu just sat there and ate it.)
    14AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:05
    Both Ieyasu and Hideyoshi were subordinates of Nobunaga anyway.
    15AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:05
    It was really Hideyoshi who ended the age of chaos, so it feels like Ieyasu just swiped the credit, and calling him the foundation of 250 years of peace is really just hindsight talking. These days, thanks to the internet, his image has spread and he's become kind of a meme character.
    16AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:06
    Hideyoshi and Ieyasu protected Japan from Christianity, though.
    19AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:06
    It's probably that 'crafty old fox' nickname giving him a bad image.
    Also, in Japan the Sengoku era tends to get celebrated as a time when regional heroes really stood out, and a turbulent era naturally produces more dramatic episodes, so it's easy for it to be popular.
    The Edo period, which ended all that and centralized power, tends to end up less popular by comparison.
    Though honestly, I think ordinary people probably had a lot to be grateful for in the Edo period.
    20AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:06
    He's the great man who created the miracle that was the Edo period, and yet
    Japan afterward never tried to emulate the Tokugawa at all — you can really feel the gap in appreciation there.
    22AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:07
    It's because his childhood was just too pathetic.
    23AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:07
    The image of a fat guy desperately fleeing after being cornered by Sanada Yukimura and Takeda Shingen.
    25AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:07
    If the Tokugawa hadn't done Tokyo's flood-control work, the place would still be drowning in floods to this day.
    26AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:08
    That old complainer and his fuss over the "Kokka Ankō" bell inscription. (Ieyasu used wording on a Toyotomi-commissioned temple bell — which split the characters of his own name — as a pretext to provoke war.)
    28AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:10
    Probably the biggest factor is the influence of the Meiji government, which had to delegitimize the shogunate.
    32AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:10
    Chinese people love stuff like Qin's unification during the Spring and Autumn/Warring States period. Ambitious strongmen keep rising up, so there's a real need for someone to restore order.
    46AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:15
    Re: #32
    Apparently a lot of Chinese fans of Gundam SEED and isekai reincarnation stories are drawn to the same kind of narrative — an overwhelmingly talented, charismatic visionary leading the masses.
    36AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:10
    Is it true modernization got delayed because of the Tokugawa?
    87AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:31
    Re: #36
    If it weren't for the Tokugawa, the Japanese would be slaves to Westerners.
    91AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:32
    Re: #36
    Without him, the age of chaos would've just dragged on for centuries longer.
    48AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:16
    I actually think it's really impressive that he set his sights on Tokyo and reclaimed all that land.
    I want to know how he even came up with that idea.
    58AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:21
    Re: #48
    Having the sea at your back makes it easier to go on the offensive.
    76AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:28
    Re: #48
    Edo was already a pretty significant strategic hub even before Ieyasu arrived.
    The image of it being some empty backwater village is a myth born from a convenient overlap of interests: the Tokugawa side wanting to inflate Ieyasu's achievements, and the Kansai side wanting to write off the Kanto region as having never amounted to much.
    53AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:18
    Why is everyone from Nagoya?
    57AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:19
    Re: #53
    Mikawa isn't Nagoya.
    55AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:19
    Honestly, unifiers in Japan just don't tend to be popular in general.
    Yoritomo, Takauji, Ieyasu — they're all unpopular.
    Because they actually succeeded, there's no more romance left to imagine.
    63AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:22
    Re: #55
    People just prefer the tragic hero who dies partway through the journey — that classic underdog sympathy.
    59AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:21
    Hideyoshi is hated too — mainly in Korea, though.
    64AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:23
    Re: #59
    Funny how it's oddly appealing when a great man is crazy enough to be hated by other countries.

    Setting aside the current 'Toyotomi Brothers' show, which portrayal of Hideyoshi do you like best? I'm a fan of the Muro Tsuyoshi version. (Muro Tsuyoshi is an actor who has played Hideyoshi on TV.)
    70AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:26
    Re: #59
    It's pretty weird that anyone likes a scumbag who usurped his own lord's clan.
    His governance was garbage too.
    66AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:24
    This is basically the last thing Japanese people have left to feel smug about.
    He built 300 years of a war-free era.
    90AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:32
    Re: #66
    If they'd ruled for 300 years, they'd have run right into WWI.
    69AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:25
    True.
    Romance of the Three Kingdoms is popular in Japan too, but it's all
    Guan Yu! Zhao Yun! Liu Bei! Cao Cao!

    You never see anyone talking about Sima Yan.
    72AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:26
    Re: #69
    The thing about Sima Yan is that after unification he abandoned governing, and Jin collapsed soon after — he's a distant cause of the whole bad ending.
    Though his name is unmatched for coolness, meaning something like 'the flame that governs horses.'
    75AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:27
    Hideyoshi's clearly the best.
    Ieyasu just has that cowardly image.
    80AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:29
    Re: #75
    Forget image — Hideyoshi's the genuinely cowardly one.
    If you compare him to Chinese history, he's like Zhao Gao or Dong Zhuo.
    85AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:30
    Re: #80
    Are you dumb?
    Hideyoshi was just smart.
    Ieyasu's a non-starter the moment you realize he only ever fought battles he was sure to win.
    98AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:34
    Re: #85
    The smart ones were Hanbei, who was assigned to him as a subordinate by Nobunaga, and Kanbei, who only stuck around because he wanted to be close to the Oda. Hideyoshi himself was a low-IQ idiot, which is why things went the way they did once he took power.
    89AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:32
    Hideyoshi's a non-starter the moment you factor in the invasions of Korea.
    97AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:34
    Re: #89
    Isn't it that his lone-wolf madness just looks better in contrast to Ieyasu, who was blessed with great vassals?
    95AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:33
    He probably watched what happened with Nobunaga and Hideyoshi and decided to seal the country off.
    100AnonymousSep 18, 2026 13:35
    Re: #95
    Ieyasu's reign was actually the golden age of red-seal ship trading.
    It was a great age of commerce, with Japanese merchant towns springing up as far as Indonesia and Burma.

    Background and Talking Points

    The Edo shogunate that Tokugawa Ieyasu established lasted roughly 265 years, from 1603 to 1868. That’s a bit off from the “300 years” figure used in the thread, but it’s still true that this was an exceptionally long stretch of peace compared to contemporary dynasties in Europe or China. On the other hand, since the Meiji government was formed by overthrowing the Edo shogunate, there’s been little institutional motivation in education or media to actively celebrate the Tokugawa — and in historical dramas, “post-unification rulers” tend to make for less compelling stories than the heroes of the Sengoku era. What split the thread was really the yardstick used to judge Ieyasu himself: one camp sees him as someone who merely snatched up the realm that Nobunaga and Hideyoshi had already carved out, while the other sees him as the pragmatic administrator who built the institutions that secured a long peace. Neither view has been verified against primary sources — it’s worth keeping in mind that this is all image-based debate on 5ch. The same goes for the overseas reception described (the novel’s popularity in China, the BBC program) — these are presented as they appeared in the thread’s posts, and this article has not independently verified their accuracy.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “Chinese commenter: “Tokugawa Ieyasu is the greatest figure in Japanese history” — British commenter: “Ieyasu’s achievements rival even Caesar’s” — Japanese commenter: “…”.”

  • Thai Team Stuck Without Hotel Rooms at Aichi Asian Games Draws Backlash, 5ch Jeers: ‘So Much for “Omotenashi”‘

    At the Asian Games currently underway in Aichi and Nagoya, a video showing Thailand’s national sepak takraw team spending the night sleeping on a lobby floor after failing to secure hotel rooms went viral on X (formerly Twitter), drawing criticism from abroad. Reports also say the team’s meals were meager. On 5ch, users piled on about a hotel shortage driven by surging inbound tourism and organizers’ slow response, with some questioning the responsibility of Aichi Governor Hideaki Omura, while others pointed back to the cardboard-bed controversy at the Tokyo Olympics, arguing “this isn’t a one-off.”

    @

    🚨 Thailand’s National Sepak Takraw Team Left Stranded With No Accommodation at the Asian Games

    Thailand’s national sepak takraw team arrived in Nagoya for #AsianGames2026, only to find…

    Source: video.twimg.com / original post here

    2AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:09
    O・mo・te・na・shi (mocking Japan's famous 2013 Olympic-bid speech about Japanese "hospitality")
    3AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:10
    Responsibility? Not taking any, got a problem with that?
    4AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:10
    Nagoya just sucks
    No hotels whatsoever, they had no business hosting this
    40AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:28
    Re: #4
    Nah, Japan's hosting jobs have been a mess across the board lately
    5AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:10
    It was fine back at the Olympics though…
    12AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:12
    Wasn't there a single staffer willing to say "I'll take the floor"?
    Really shows how nasty the people running this in Nagoya are
    13AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:12
    There wasn't even a major earthquake, so how did this happen
    15AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:12
    Poor Thai athletes — can't even get a room because of all the inbound tourists
    17AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:12
    A typhoon's coming next week too, this is about to get even messier
    20AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:13
    Re: #17
    Guess we're getting flooded again
    19AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:13
    Japan's a terrible country, please just stop coming here
    21AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:13
    Japan's basically a "developed-but-backwards" country now, so this checks out
    22AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:15
    I was actually looking for a hotel around Nagoya myself not long ago — not just Nagoya, Aichi, Gifu, and Hamamatsu were all wiped out too
    Even finding a room for 30,000 yen would count as super lucky
    24AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:16
    Nobody outside the countries actually competing cares about the Asian Games anyway
    25AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:17
    Wasn't arranging this the traveling country's own job to begin with?
    They probably figured something would get sorted once they arrived
    27AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:18
    Did they even have a reservation in the first place?
    Or did they just show up and go "wait, where's our hotel?"
    29AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:18
    That's clearly not a ship's lobby by any stretch
    Probably somewhere around Aichi Sky Expo
    30AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:19
    This whole thing is being run by Governor Omura
    Direct your complaints to the Aichi governor
    32AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:20
    @
    Aichi's Asian Games. It's a disaster.
    Stories keep pouring in of blunders inconveniencing athletes from every direction.
    They say a country's social functions collapse before the country itself does. Japan can't even keep up appearances at an international event anymore.
    34AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:22
    Let this be a lesson — never host one of these in Japan again
    For residents it's all downside, zero upside
    36AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:22
    Come on, Nagoya
    Get your act together!
    37AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:23
    Isn't it because Nagoya's underwater?
    41AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:30
    Why does something like this even happen?
    The participating countries tell Japan how many rooms they need, and Japan just has to provide that many — right?
    Did a bunch of unrelated people flood in too?
    44AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:33
    Re: #41
    And on top of that the response was slow with zero flexibility
    They could've just booked another hotel, that's all it would've taken
    42AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:31
    The cardboard beds at the Olympics got plenty of backlash too
    47AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:33
    Zero respect for athletes
    They wheel out Johnny's (talent agency) idols and other amateurs — just stick to actual experts
    49AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:35
    Sounds like they arranged hotels and temporary housing for 15,000 people but 17,000 showed up, so they're completely swamped
    56AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:37
    Re: #49
    There's no way you can conjure up lodging for 2,000 extra people out of nowhere
    Use your head
    52AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:35
    This was supposed to be the governor's pet project — so how did it come to this…
    54AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:36
    Apparently they gave up building extra lodging because construction material costs shot up
    57AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:37
    Aichi can't get anything right
    And they're the ones who wanted to host so badly — that's on them
    58AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:38
    Well, if you've seen the shelters in disaster zones, this isn't surprising
    This is just the real state of Japan
    59AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:38
    Aichi's never had any real ambition to become a proper city
    64AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:40
    This country's turned into one where 40% of people are "quiet quitting"
    Everyone clocks out right on time, so don't expect any flexibility
    65AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:42
    The actual event operations get farmed out to contractors by the local government or organizing committee through bidding or sole-source deals
    It's not like the local government runs it directly
    67AnonymousSep 18, 2026 12:45
    But just because it went out to bid doesn't mean the local government's off the hook

    Background and Key Points on This Story

    Aichi Prefecture, including Nagoya, has been dealing with a chronic hotel shortage driven by surging inbound tourism, and thread commenters noted that vacancies are scarce even in neighboring Gifu and Hamamatsu. Lodging for international events is normally arranged in advance, with the host coordinating room counts with each country’s delegation ahead of time, so a last-minute accommodation failure like this points to overly optimistic planning by the organizers. The 2021 Tokyo Olympics faced similar criticism when cardboard beds in the athletes’ village were slammed as disrespectful to competitors, and this incident is likewise feeding distrust in how Japan manages major international events. The thread features both calls to hold the governor accountable and comments pointing to the structure in which operations are outsourced to contractors via bidding, so it’s worth noting that no single cause has been pinned down at this stage.

    *This article is composed from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “Japan, huh — Thai team left sleeping on the lobby floor with no lodging and skimpy food at the Aichi/Nagoya Asian Games, draws worldwide criticism lol.”

  • Man loses ¥30,000 at pachinko, drinks from morning till night — 5ch: ‘Cheap booze isn’t about taste, it’s about getting buzzed on the cheap’

    A thread on 5ch’s “Newsspeed VIP” board blew up after a poster said they’d started drinking first thing in the morning with salmon as a snack. The poster revealed they’d lost about ¥30,000 at pachinko this month, and admitted they were too drunk to even remember what they’d played. As they kept posting photos of sashimi, extra-thick sausages, hamburger steak, and other drinking snacks, a lighthearted back-and-forth with other users unfolded. Their stance — “you don’t drink cheap booze for the taste, it’s about getting a good buzz on the cheap” — drew pushback from posters who said they wanted booze that was both cheap and good, sparking a bit of a debate over how to approach drinking.

    1AnonymousSep 18, 2026 07:52
    (´;ω;`) Starting off nice and slow with some salmon as a snack
    4AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:02
    I'll pay you some attention once you quit pachinko
    6AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:03
    Re: #4
    (´;ω;`) I'm not going again this month… I was so drunk I don't even remember what I played, and I was shocked to find I'd lost about ¥30,000
    7AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:03
    ( ･᷇ὢ･᷆ ) …Yeah, I've been drinking since morning
    9AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:03
    Re: #7
    (´;ω;`) I can't get through the day without drinking
    10AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:03
    (´・ω・｀) Sashimi tastes great if you dip it in booze — fancy restaurants rinse it first, then soak it
    11AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:04
    Re: #10
    (´;ω;`) Never tried that, doesn't it end up reeking of alcohol?
    12AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:04
    Win at pachinko and buy yourself a keyboard
    15AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:04
    Re: #12
    (´;ω;`) I'd been saving up for one all month and then it all went up in smoke yesterday… I'm genuinely gutted
    13AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:04
    (´・ω・`) Can't be helped… go on, show me your backside
    17AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:05
    Re: #13
    (´;ω;`) No gays allowed!!!
    14AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:04
    ( ･᷄ὢ･᷅ ) So today's an "Ando cheat day" where booze is allowed? (riffing on fitness influencer Ando's cheat-day posts)
    18AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:05
    Re: #14
    (´;ω;`) Yep, first drink in two weeks and it feels amazing
    16AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:05
    A whole cup of soy sauce……
    what a cheerful breakfast
    19AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:06
    Re: #16
    (´;ω;`) What's in the cup is shochu mixed with cola — even I'd draw the line at that much soy sauce
    21AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:08
    Hey, if anyone's in Osaka let's go drink 🥺
    24AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:09
    Re: #21
    (´;ω;`) Not anymore, I headed back to Kyoto last night
    22AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:08
    (´・ω・`) An avocado, seriously? Come on (riffing on an old "are you kidding me" meme format)
    25AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:09
    Re: #22
    (´;ω;`) Ha, "a banana, seriously?" — now that takes me back
    23AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:08
    (´;ω;`) Tastes great with mayo on it too ♡

    https://gzo.ai/i/YDyNA6o.jpg
    34AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:25
    At least you've still got money to spend, that's something 🥺
    36AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:28
    Re: #34
    (´;ω;`) I guess so… but I'm definitely not rich… the fact that a pachinko addict like me is moaning over just ¥30,000 should tell you everything
    40AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:29
    Whereabouts in Kyoto?
    I'm a Takatsuki resident
    42AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:30
    Re: #40
    (´;ω;`) I'm obviously not going to say… Takatsuki's basically Osaka anyway
    44AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:32
    (´;ω;`) Ta-da, extra-thick sausage

    https://gzo.ai/i/U3BwJQZ.jpg
    45AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:32
    (◍•ᴗ•◍) Yo~
    I lost too, the day before yesterday, it's rough
    47AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:33
    Re: #45
    (´;ω;`) What machine did you play?
    76AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:54
    (´;ω;`) This one

    https://gzo.ai/i/LEQYvYg.jpg
    78AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:55
    Re: #76
    Is it any good? 🥺
    84AnonymousSep 18, 2026 09:00
    Re: #82
    (´;ω;`) Honestly, nobody drinks cheap booze for the taste, right? It's about how cheaply you can get buzzed and forget everything that sucks
    90AnonymousSep 18, 2026 09:02
    Re: #84
    So any old thing'll do, huh? No way 🥺
    I want booze that's cheap AND good 🥺
    94AnonymousSep 18, 2026 09:05
    Re: #90
    (´;ω;`) Nah, I'm straight (callback to the earlier gay joke)… it's really not bad, the Kikukawa shochu is decent… probably not that different from the cheap ¥1,300-for-2L barley stuff… though next to proper single-distilled (otsu-rui) shochu it does taste kind of plain
    98AnonymousSep 18, 2026 09:07
    Re: #90
    (◍•ᴗ•◍) How about a cheap wine like Alpaca (a popular budget Chilean wine brand in Japan)?
    It's fun once you find a wine that suits you
    107AnonymousSep 18, 2026 09:11
    (´;ω;`) Time to eat this seriously sexy hamburger steak

    https://gzo.ai/i/oJKsmSH.jpg
    108AnonymousSep 18, 2026 09:12
    Re: #107
    Explain logically exactly what's so sexy about it 🥺
    143AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:59
    (´;ω;`) Forgot to post the photo

    https://gzo.ai/i/gQ1nQDx.jpg
    146AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:02
    (´;ω;`) Forgot the photo again

    https://gzo.ai/i/JpZx4lw.jpg

    Background and Key Points

    This thread is one of the “live-commentary style” chat threads 5ch’s VIP board is known for — rather than centering on a specific incident or policy issue, it’s built around one poster’s day of drinking and pachinko losses. Where opinions split was over the “value of cheap booze”: the poster argued that cheap alcohol isn’t about taste but about getting drunk cheaply, while other users pushed back, saying they wanted booze that was both cheap and good — a real difference in attitudes toward drinking. It’s worth noting that the amount lost at pachinko and which machine was played come solely from the poster’s own account and can’t be independently verified.

    ※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Newsspeed VIP) thread “(´;ω;`) Drinking from morning till night!!!“

  • Female keirin racer called “too beautiful” sparks buzz — 5ch: “Look at those thighs and still…”

    A photo of a female keirin (track cycling) racer who’s drawing attention for her looks was posted on 5ch’s “Live Commentary G” board, sparking a huge reaction. While the thread was flooded with comments praising her appearance, there was also debate over her racing style — some argued she “doesn’t attempt risky moves as long as she can finish in the top 3.” The conversation spread to keirin as a whole, with posters explaining the forced-retirement system known as “taisha” (attrition), which weeds out underperforming racers, and the benchmark racing-score of 70 points. Some posts nostalgically brought up legendary female racers like Kanako Kase, turning the thread into more than just a discussion about looks.

    8AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:26
    This girl races nothing but by-the-book, safe races, so bettors who aren't fans of her personally can't stand her
    18AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:32
    Re: #8
    What do you mean by "by-the-book races"?
    20AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:33
    Re: #8
    Except for a handful of top girls, Girls Keirin is basically all beggars who can't win on their own legs
    28AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:38
    Even with thighs like that, guys like Re: #8 still exist, huh
    11AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:29
    Faces like this are only cute when they're young
    108AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:26
    Re: #11
    When she gets older she'll probably end up like Kazue Ito (actress) these days — that's fine by me
    21AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:34
    22AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:34
    Re: #18
    She's the type of racer who doesn't go for the win as long as she can lock in a top-3 finish — no aggressive moves
    24AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:35
    Re: #22
    If you already know that about her, there's a betting strategy right there
    76AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:06
    Re: #22
    Is that actually a bad thing?
    46AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:49
    I don't really know keirin, but do the women race against the men, like in boat racing?
    52AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:52
    Re: #46
    No
    Even the top female racer is only about on par with the lowest tier of men, plus the bikes are built differently
    57AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:53
    Re: #47
    Probably that — I'll look it up. Thanks!
    61AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:58
    Re: #57
    She won me about 100,000 yen once
    68AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:02
    Kanako Kase is the cutest, no contest
    79AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:07
    Re: #68
    Even tomboyish, she's still cute
    69AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:03
    Sorry, figured there'd be a lot of keirin fans here so let me ask — a friend of mine turned pro keirin racer about 5 years ago and has been stuck in the lowest rank the whole time. Is this guy gonna be okay? Won't he get cut?
    74AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:04
    Re: #69
    There's a system called "taisha" — if your results are bad enough, you get forced into retirement
    78AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:07
    Re: #69
    Class 117 or maybe 119?
    I feel like that group has a lot of strong racers
    99AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:20
    Re: #69
    As long as he keeps his racing score at 70 or above, he can keep going as a "salaryman racer" until 60
    70AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:03
    Lol, she's built like a character I made in Dragon's Dogma 2
    73AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:04
    Re: #70
    Haha, so true
    71AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:03
    Kanako Kase
    Kobariko
    Satomina
    Makibii

    Those are about the only strong female racers I can name
    Can't really remember more than that
    77AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:06
    Re: #71
    Racers like Makibee just don't come along anymore
    89AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:13
    Is Koichi Nakano the only keirin racer regular people would actually recognize?
    Even current SS-class racers have basically zero name recognition, right?
    91AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:14
    Re: #89

    A regular person being interviewed about Aeon
    98AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:20
    Re: #91
    Looked it up and apparently he's called "the Monster of the Heisei Era," lol
    Sorry, but I've genuinely never heard of him lol
    105AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:24
    Re: #99
    Looking at it, she's kept at least around 70-something points as a minimum
    Does that fluctuate based on placing or something? Not totally sure how it works
    110AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:29
    Re: #105
    That's her 3-term total, so as long as she doesn't rack up a string of 7th-place finishes, she's young and should be fine for a while
    If she switches to a closer/late-charge racing style soon and keeps grabbing mid-pack finishes, she could stay a racer for a long time
    112AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:29
    Re: #105
    Basically, as long as you keep your score at 70 or above, there's no forced retirement
    If you stay below that and fall into the bottom 30, you get forced into retirement every half-term evaluation
    115AnonymousSep 18, 2026 11:30
    This one's my type

    Background and key points of this discussion

    Female keirin racers (Girls Keirin) compete in a separate category from men rather than racing against them, and even top female racers are said to have leg strength roughly on par with the lowest tier of male racers. The “taisha” system that came up in this thread forces racers into retirement once their racing score falls below and stays under a certain threshold (around 70 points as a benchmark) and they drop into the bottom ranks — many posts highlighted just how strict this merit-based system is. While the thread was mostly focused on praising her looks, opinions were split on her tactic of “only going for finishes that let her advance,” showing that discussion of the sport went beyond just appearance-based popularity. Posters also brought up past standout female racers like Kanako Kase, worth noting since female keirin racers are talked about for their results as well as their looks.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Live Commentary G) thread “[Image] “Too beautiful” keirin racer becomes a huge sensation wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.”

  • Oda Sakura: “Was I Even a Candidate?” — A Moment from the ‘Selfish Request’ Segment

    In an interview with Morning Musume。’26 members Oda Sakura, Yamazaki Airi, Inoue Haruka, Yasuda Miyu, and Ishikawa Karin, an episode tied to the “Selfish Request” segment at a Hello! Project concert came up. According to Oda, when it came to picking members, one girl asked her, “Was I even a candidate?” On the 5ch live-discussion thread, this sparked a guessing game over who "the girl who asked" was, with names like Yugeta, Matsunaga, and Yokaze coming up one after another as candidates, and it also grew into a debate over whether the selection criteria was singing ability or looks.

    1AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:26
    Morning Musume。'26 Oda Sakura, Yamazaki Airi,
    Inoue Haruka, Yasuda Miyu, Ishikawa Karin Interview (Excerpt)
    (From Oda's Selfish Request at the Hello! Project concert,
    3AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:27
    Selfish Request. Oda Sakura
    https://ameblo.jp/morningmusume-10ki/entry-12975373522.html
    2026-08-10 22:02:18
    4AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:29
    I wonder who it was that asked "Was I even a candidate?"
    46AnonymousSep 18, 2026 09:40
    Re: #4
    Probably Yokaze?
    5AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:31
    Probably some OCHA NORMA member who didn't make the cut
    7AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:32
    Yugeta: "Was I even a candidate?"

    Matsunaga: "Was I even a candidate?"

    Tsutsui: "Was I even a candidate?"


    My mental image of who'd actually ask that
    28AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:47
    Re: #7
    Matsunaga could be added to that list too
    8AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:33
    There's probably only a handful of people who'd even bring something like that up with Oda
    9AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:33
    I can't picture which OCHA NORMA or ROSY CHRONICLE member would actually go talk to Oda about it
    10AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:33
    Isn't Ise the most likely one from ANGERME?
    30AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:59
    Re: #10
    In ANGERME, Hirayama's head and shoulders above the rest for this
    Only downside is she's got that "Misugi-kun" constitution (fan slang for being injury/illness-prone, after the frail character in Captain Tsubasa)
    11AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:33
    With OCHA NORMA you'd expect it to be Rokomiku, but
    it might surprisingly be Momo instead
    12AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:34
    Probably someone who's fairly confident in her own singing
    15AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:35
    Tako-chan: "Was I even a candidate?" (teary-eyed)
    16AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:36
    Ise, Inoue, Matsunaga, Yokaze, maybe?
    Not so sure about Nishizaki or Tsutsui though
    17AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:36
    There's no OCHA NORMA or ROSY CHRONICLE member in the lineup,
    so it's got to be one of them
    19AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:37
    Airi: "I wanted to do it too"
    Oda: "Right?!"


    Since there was an exchange like that too, maybe some people are asking in the sense of "I want Oda to pick me!"
    22AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:40
    Tanimoto: "Was I even a candidate?"

    Oda: "Uh… yeah…"
    32AnonymousSep 18, 2026 09:06
    Re: #22
    This one's just here for Hirayama, huh
    24AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:42
    I think I saw on Yokaze's blog or something that she wrote about watching the monitor and always wishing she could be part of it, and that she'd told Oda as much too
    25AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:45
    Honestly, they should just publish the Selfish Request segment and the Hello! Project concert shuffle unit on YouTube already
    29AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:55
    Re: #27
    Everyone already knows the answer, and yet someone still made a thread about it
    34AnonymousSep 18, 2026 09:18
    Re: #29
    ＞…-ing too, that she'd wanted to stand on that stage
    ＞—wondering how many times she'd thought that, watching through the monitor

    She never actually said that to Oda though
    33AnonymousSep 18, 2026 09:09
    Are you trying to say Morning Musume。's level is just too low?
    35AnonymousSep 18, 2026 09:19
    Matsunaga would think it but never say it
    because the moment you say it out loud, it's like admitting defeat
    38AnonymousSep 18, 2026 09:31
    ROSY CHRONICLE has a lot of shy, reserved members, so they probably couldn't even go talk to Oda lol

    Well, but flip side is, since it's "not a cute-girls selection," there are probably some members relieved they weren't picked lol
    48AnonymousSep 18, 2026 09:42
    Re: #38
    If the singing and dancing are good, it doesn't matter whether she's cute or not
    43AnonymousSep 18, 2026 09:39
    If it's someone from ROSY CHRONICLE, I'd guess Murakoshi
    44AnonymousSep 18, 2026 09:39
    Whether or not Danbara picks you
    is something a lot of Hello! Project members actually care about
    53AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:07
    Nishizaki's self-esteem is way too low for her to have asked that, no way
    55AnonymousSep 18, 2026 10:18
    It's kind of heartwarming that those 5 are close on LINE
    Yeah, honestly if it weren't for something like this they probably wouldn't have gotten close

    Background and Talking Points

    The “Selfish Request” is a recurring segment at Hello! Project concerts where performing members get to request whatever they want for the show, and in this interview, Oda Sakura revealed that her turn centered on selecting members for a shuffle unit. What split the thread was the question of who actually asked her, “Was I even a candidate?” — names like Yugeta, Matsunaga, and Yokaze were floated one after another as guesses, but the interview itself never names the member in question, so every post in the thread remains pure speculation. Opinions were also divided over whether the selection criteria came down to singing ability or looks, with some pushing back that “if the singing and dancing are good, looks don’t matter.” One thing readers should be careful not to misread: the name-guessing in the thread isn’t an official announcement or the member’s own testimony — it’s purely fan speculation.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “Oda Sakura: “During the Selfish Request, one girl said to me, ‘Was I even a candidate?’ — it was really intense”.”

  • 5ch Live-Thread Users Have a Field Day with ‘Glad I Was Born in China’ Meme

    In a thread on 5ch’s “Whatever’s On Live” board, a running gag took hold: posters kept sharing images they liked, each tagged with the stock phrase “Glad I was born in ___.” Posts like “Glad I was born in China” and “Glad I was born in Kagawa Prefecture” came one after another, while the conversation kept veering off into riffs on old-fashioned Showa-era names and snark about game companies’ obsession with remakes. True to the scattershot nature of a live-commentary board, there was little coherence to the discussion, but the fast-paced back-and-forth kept things lively.

    21AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:25
    Glad I was born in China
    22AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:26
    Ru-chan 🥰
    23AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:26
    Glad I was born in China

    24AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:26
    Gums bared wide 👄 (gummy smile)
    25AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:26
    Glad I was born in China
    26AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:26
    38AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:27
    Re: #26
    Ohh-hoo 😍
    28AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:27
    29AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:27
    35AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:27
    Glad I was born in China

    48AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:31
    Glad I was born in Kagawa Prefecture
    49AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:31
    Glad I was born in Kagawa Prefecture
    50AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:31
    Glad I was born in Kagawa Prefecture
    62AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:36
    Akio, the classic wrinkly Showa-era name (old-fashioned, elderly-sounding first name)
    66AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:38
    Kazuro — a genuine Showa-born case of a 'wrinkly DQN name' (an old-fashioned-sounding name stereotyped as a delinquent parent's pick) 「Re: #62」
    78AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:40
    Game companies: 'Remake, remake!' ← Just keep cranking out new titles on a shoestring budget until one hits, will ya
    91AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:42
    Re: #78
    It's needed so the newbies can get some experience
    87AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:42
    Poor Ui-mama

    106AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:44
    126AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:47
    Should I just go bash on Shigure Ui then?
    129AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:48
    Re: #126
    Nah, you should probably focus on what you like or what you actually need to do instead
    159AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:52
    The DoublePan thread is straight-up dominant right now!!! (slang for 'the hottest thread going')
    161AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:53
    Re: #159
    This isn't the DoublePan thread
    165AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:54
    Re: #159
    Exactly!!!
    169AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:54
    You guys are irritated every single day, huh
    173AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:55
    Re: #169
    It's fun 'cause it's Asobi-tai's debut
    171AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:55
    Just go play a crap game already
    176AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:55
    Re: #171
    Glad I was born in China
    192AnonymousSep 18, 2026 09:00

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    Boards like “Whatever’s On Live” are live-commentary boards where users post in real time while watching TV broadcasts or streams, and it’s typical for a single thread to jump between topics every few seconds. In this thread too, the stock refrain “Glad I was born in ___” gets repeated over and over, but this isn’t really a statement of opinion about any particular country or region — it’s just a set phrase (a kind of running-gag copypasta) tacked onto whatever image a poster likes, with no deeper meaning to read into it. The topic wanders without much logic, touching on Kagawa Prefecture jokes, Showa-era naming humor, criticism of the game industry, and mentions of VTubers and entrepreneurs — typical of live-commentary threads. Note that this article omits posts comparing a real politician’s appearance to something else, baseless accusations against a real entrepreneur, and an exchange mocking a particular poster using the name of a disability, since these touch on personal defamation and political topics.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch “Whatever’s On Live” board thread “🏡🤓☀Glad We Weren’t Born in the Empire of Japan🪖⛴✈🏡.”

  • Saint Seiya Creator: “I Could Laugh Off a Few Million Yen in Embezzlement, But ¥4.6 Billion Is Unforgivable”

    An interview has surfaced in which Saint Seiya creator Masami Kurumada discusses being defrauded of ¥4.6 billion by his former manager. The embezzlement came to light after a tax audit two years ago, and Kurumada revealed he had entrusted the manager with everything — his bankbook, his personal seal (the stamp used in Japan in place of a signature), all of it. His remark that he “would have laughed off a few million yen” sparked plenty of discussion on 5ch given the sheer gap in scale, with commenters drawing parallels to the fund misappropriation scandal involving Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, and others expressing surprise that Saint Seiya still commands huge popularity in China and Latin America.

    A bus wrapped in Saint Seiya artwork without the creator’s knowledge… Masami Kurumada speaks out on the ¥4.6 billion embezzlement — plus a tearful plea letter from his former manager

    The embezzlement came to light after a tax audit began in early two years ago. Kurumada’s reported income looked too low, and suspicious money movements were flagged, raising suspicion of tax evasion. As authorities and Kurumada’s side went back and forth during the investigation, it emerged that Mr. A, the former manager, had been embezzling funds.

    “I had entrusted A with everything — my bank passbook, my cards, my personal seal. That’s how completely I trusted him. When the problem first started coming to light, I never imagined he’d swindled such an enormous sum. If it had been a few million yen, I figured I’d yell at him and then laugh it off. But once I saw the full picture, I realized just how thoroughly I’d been betrayed, and it left me feeling utterly hollow.” (Kurumada)

    Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here

    5AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:02
    How do you not notice something like this for so long? Guess you really can't trust anyone.
    8AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:03
    Re: #5 Well, Ippei (Shohei Ohtani's interpreter) also ran up a pretty insane amount…
    92AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:36
    Re: #5 Apparently he'd bought off everyone around him, so yeah — I guess a creator type might not notice.
    10AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:04
    You'd end up the same way if hundreds of millions rolled in every year while you just goofed off. You just don't know it yet.
    12AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:05
    Re: #10 Wait, is Saint Seiya still making that much money? Wasn't it a hit like 40 years ago?
    22AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:08
    Re: #12 Re: #14 It's Chinese money — Saint Seiya is massively popular across Asia, including China.
    26AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:09
    Re: #12 Re: #14 The merch still sells well, and for some reason it's huge right now in Latin America, especially Brazil.
    14AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:05
    Wait, is it really making that much? Pachinko money? (anime IP often gets licensed to pachinko/pachislot machines, a major revenue source)
    15AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:05
    The more you look at it, the more this feels like a second Ohtani-Ippei case. Really shows you shouldn't trust people. When it comes to money, maybe you need to be paranoid to the point of not trusting anyone.
    17AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:06
    Re: #15 Even Shinjo got scammed by someone close to him, and even Yanikki (nickname for Yu Darvish) got scammed by someone his family was close with.
    16AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:06
    A saint who'll forgive you if it's only a few million yen.
    20AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:07
    Re: #16 Considering more than half would've gone to taxes anyway, it's basically a rounding error.
    24AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:09
    Re: #16 Well, the revenue scale is just different.
    18AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:06
    "Please rehire me" — lol. What kind of job do you even give someone who's not a creator and has negative trust? A professional punching bag or something?
    108AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:50
    Re: #18 Maybe a stunt double who gets punched and face-plants on the ground.
    36AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:14
    What's wild about cases like this is there's never a 'just skim a reasonable amount' — they always push it right to the edge of what would blow up into a scandal.
    40AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:16
    Re: #36 Even skimming a little is already a crime, so if you're going to do it, you might as well go all the way. A few million yen isn't worth the risk, but a few billion is.
    50AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:21
    Re: #36 Maybe keeping it modest is exactly what lets you get away without it ever making the news? 🤔
    48AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:21
    Funny that Saint Seiya got so popular when it's basically just guys fighting with made-up mystery techniques.
    53AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:22
    Re: #48 Is there any fantasy battle manga in this genre that doesn't have guys fighting with mystery techniques? lol
    54AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:23
    Re: #48 It got big because of the anime.
    58AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:25
    If even someone at Kurumada's level can make this much, no wonder everyone aims to be a Jump manga artist. Even legends at Magazine or Sunday probably couldn't touch this amount.
    65AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:29
    Re: #58 Rumiko Takahashi. Mitsuru Adachi. Don't underestimate them.
    67AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:29
    Re: #58 Reminder: it took the whole era by storm.
    75AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:30
    Re: #58 Reminder: it was so embedded in daily life it practically created its own social hierarchy among elementary, middle, and high schoolers.
    59AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:26
    "Please hire me again" — lol
    63AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:28
    Re: #59 Gives off real 'Yamaguchi-member' vibes (referencing an idol-group scandal figure known for self-pitying apologies) — he probably sees himself as the tragic hero of the story.
    70AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:30
    Re: #59 The sheer nerve is hilarious.
    72AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:30
    If the victim here had been Eiichiro Oda instead, I wonder how you all would've reacted.
    80AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:31
    Re: #72 Of course you'd forgive a 'nakama's' mistake, right? (referencing One Piece's famous 'nakama'/friendship theme)
    86AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:35
    Re: #72 Ugh, a trial would probably mean a long hiatus for the series.
    76AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:31
    Re: #55 Dangling over a hundred million yen in cash in front of someone and going 'come on, you've got a conscience, you wouldn't take it, right~?' — morally speaking, that side is pretty messed up too.
    81AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:32
    Re: #76 Blaming others gets to this point, it's basically a sickness.
    83AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:33
    Re: #81 It's not blame-shifting — it's just that both sides bear some responsibility.
    84AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:34
    Re: #83 That's exactly what blame-shifting is.
    88AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:35
    Re: #83 No, it is blame-shifting, and it is a sickness.
    105AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:49
    Random thought, but do other countries even have the concept of the 12 zodiac signs?
    117AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:54
    Re: #105 If anything, it's the other way around — the ones used today trace back to ancient Greece and Egypt. Japan used to use the 'Twenty-Eight Mansions,' constellations from Chinese astronomy.
    118AnonymousSep 18, 2026 08:56
    Re: #105 Greece: "…" Well, from Greece you can only see the northern hemisphere's sky, so having as many as 88 Saints (constellations) doesn't really add up anyway.

    Background and Key Points of the Discussion

    The embezzlement came to light after suspicious money movements were flagged during a tax audit two years ago; Kurumada has revealed that he had entrusted his former manager with everything, from his bankbook to his personal seal. The thread’s central hook was the gap between the ¥4.6 billion total and Kurumada’s own remark that he “would have laughed off a few million yen” — this was by far the most talked-about point. Many commenters drew parallels to the fund misappropriation case involving Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, with a number of posts framing it as a cautionary tale about placing too much trust in people close to you when it comes to money. There was also plenty of surprise that Saint Seiya, seen domestically as a work from over 40 years ago, still holds strong popularity across Asia (especially China) and Latin America (especially Brazil) — which offered something of an explanation for where such a huge sum of money could have come from. Note that the perpetrator was a man in his 50s who served as the former manager; some early posts in the thread mistakenly assumed a different gender, but that confusion has been left out of this write-up.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (Nanka Jikkyou G) thread ‘Saint Seiya Creator: “I Could Laugh Off a Few Million Yen in Embezzlement, But ¥4.6 Billion Is Unforgivable”.’

  • Bought a Run-Down Vacant House for ¥2.3 Million All-In — Ceiling Collapse Draws “Wouldn’t Live There Even for Free” Reactions

    A poster who bought a run-down vacant house in Saitama Prefecture for ¥2.3 million all-in (fees included) shared photos of its current state — a ceiling stripped bare and a garden gone to forest — sparking a wave of reactions on 5ch. Commenters traded theories over the price breakdown (¥1.7 million for the land, just ¥100,000 for the building) and speculated about why the ceiling boards had been torn out and the paper sliding doors ripped, while the thread turned to the security risks unique to vacant houses and the difficulty of reviving old Japanese homes (*kominka*). The poster decided to buy after wanting a large workspace and growing tired of paying rent for nothing, but now, with no clear path to repairs, regret is creeping in.

    1AnonymousSep 18, 2026 01:37
    Bought it for ¥2.3 million all-in, but I wonder if I could just give it a quick clean and flip it for the same price.
    3AnonymousSep 18, 2026 01:38
    It didn't sell even at that price, so it's probably not going to sell now either.
    10AnonymousSep 18, 2026 01:42
    Re: #3
    The yard's completely overgrown with weeds and trees, basically a forest at this point — you think if I turned it into a grass lawn someone would buy it?
    4AnonymousSep 18, 2026 01:38
    Aren't you going to live there?
    18AnonymousSep 18, 2026 01:44
    Re: #4
    Well, I am going to live there, but I'm working on some kind of creative project and plan to move out once it's done. The problem is I can't predict whether that project will wrap up soon or drag on for ages, so after agonizing over whether to just stay in my rental or buy a vacant house, I ended up buying one.
    6AnonymousSep 18, 2026 01:40
    How much do you have in savings/assets?
    28AnonymousSep 18, 2026 01:48
    Re: #6
    About ¥4 million. I still have to pay the remaining ¥2 million purchase cost for the house out of that — I've already paid the ¥300,000 down payment.
    7AnonymousSep 18, 2026 01:41
    Here's what the ceiling looks like —

    13AnonymousSep 18, 2026 01:43
    Re: #7
    I wouldn't want to live there even for free.
    26AnonymousSep 18, 2026 01:47
    Re: #7
    Even ¥500,000 seems too much for that.
    63AnonymousSep 18, 2026 02:11
    Re: #7
    If it's ¥4 million for this, at least you get big-city-level convenience. Those torn paper sliding doors (shoji) look like signs someone's been sneaking in, too.
    11AnonymousSep 18, 2026 01:42
    Did you have some specific purpose in mind when you bought it?
    31AnonymousSep 18, 2026 01:50
    Re: #11
    I wanted a big workspace. Rent where I currently live is expensive, and I got sick of paying money into something like rent that leaves you with nothing at the end.

    But honestly, if my creative project wraps up quickly, I'd have been better off just sticking with rent.
    40AnonymousSep 18, 2026 01:54
    Re: #31
    I see. Repairs do look like they'll take a while. Looking closer, it's not just the ceiling — the eaves are caving in too. Might be tough to fix on your own.
    12AnonymousSep 18, 2026 01:43
    How's the access to town and stuff?
    35AnonymousSep 18, 2026 01:51
    Re: #12
    There's a decent-sized AEON-type mall (a major Japanese retail chain) about a 5-minute drive away, and two home improvement centers that look pretty big too — that's a plus in my book. The train station's a bit far though, maybe 15-20 minutes by bike.
    22AnonymousSep 18, 2026 01:46
    First, search the house — might be some hidden stash of cash.
    25AnonymousSep 18, 2026 01:47
    Re: #22
    Sounds like you'd find some seriously legit protective ward talisman (a paper charm meant to keep evil out) instead.
    27AnonymousSep 18, 2026 01:47
    How does a ceiling even get torn up like that?
    38AnonymousSep 18, 2026 01:53
    Re: #27
    The roof's shot. Something's happened to the tiles and rainwater's getting in through there. I haven't been up on the roof yet though, so I don't actually know what's going on up there.
    43AnonymousSep 18, 2026 01:57
    ¥2 million is a total ripoff, right? Is that just the land price?
    45AnonymousSep 18, 2026 01:59
    Re: #43
    The listing said something like 'this is priced at land value, so we can't lower it any further.' It's 700 square meters in Saitama.
    50AnonymousSep 18, 2026 02:00
    Re: #45
    Did you check the land's assessed value?
    66AnonymousSep 18, 2026 02:14
    Re: #45
    Ah, I see, somewhere around Hanno then. Hahaha 🤣 Reviving an old traditional house (kominka) is hard. With that much airflow going through it, it's not just the roof — you've already got ants in there. Ideally you'd tear the house down, clear the lot, and build from the foundation up, but…
    56AnonymousSep 18, 2026 02:02
    Re: #50
    I asked GPT and it seemed to say the price was roughly fair, but how do I actually look up the land value?
    57AnonymousSep 18, 2026 02:03
    Re: #56
    The assessed value is listed on your property tax documents.
    64AnonymousSep 18, 2026 02:13
    Can't post to Imgur anymore.

    It says the sale price breakdown is:
    Total: ¥1.8 million
    Land: ¥1.7 million
    Building: ¥100,000
    67AnonymousSep 18, 2026 02:14
    Re: #64
    A building price of ¥100,000 is shocking — should be zero. If anything they'd want to make it negative.
    72AnonymousSep 18, 2026 02:17
    Re: #63
    I was wondering why the shoji were torn like that — did a burglar do this? That's terrifying. What would the point even be?
    79AnonymousSep 18, 2026 02:23
    Re: #72
    The ceiling boards were probably stripped out to be sold, and the shoji get torn by whoever wanders into the vacant house. It's been happening for ages — it's basically a pattern of behavior at this point.
    75AnonymousSep 18, 2026 02:18
    I'm only at the contract stage so far, so I might not have gotten the paperwork from the city office yet — maybe I'll get it at handover.
    76AnonymousSep 18, 2026 02:22
    Re: #75
    If there's a property tax settlement involved, the seller should give it to you as proof, but if not, you'll have to go pick it up yourself once the registration is finalized.
    77AnonymousSep 18, 2026 02:22
    Cutting down the weeds and trees is doable myself, but I'm not confident about dealing with termites and stuff.
    80AnonymousSep 18, 2026 02:23
    Re: #77
    Weeds just grow back… it's genuinely wasted time.
    87AnonymousSep 18, 2026 02:28
    Re: #79
    So the ceiling coming down means a contractor stripped it out? And they took one look and decided there was no profit in it? Sounds like this is confirmed very-hard-mode.
    93AnonymousSep 18, 2026 02:33
    Re: #87
    They used to sell for ¥2,000-3,000 a panel back in the day. Since it's hard to remove, they probably gave up partway through — so whoever stripped them was either someone vandalizing the house or a trespasser who got inside.

    There's a chance someone like that comes back in, so before anything else, you should put up curtains and hang a nameplate. I've heard that in Kansai people still break in even after that, but in the greater Tokyo area that should at least make them think twice.
    88AnonymousSep 18, 2026 02:28
    You could hire me, you know. I live in western Tokyo. Depending on the day, I could spend a full day helping out when I'm free. I can handle most basic tools.
    91AnonymousSep 18, 2026 02:31
    Re: #88
    I'd love to hire you, but I don't have the money.
    92AnonymousSep 18, 2026 02:32
    Given how much this thread's blown up, I guess there's real demand for vacant-house renovation as entertainment. Might start thinking about posting to YouTube…
    97AnonymousSep 18, 2026 02:38
    Re: #92
    Well yeah, there was even that TV show 'Extreme Makeover: Before & After' (a Japanese home-renovation program).
    96AnonymousSep 18, 2026 02:38
    Re: #93
    Whoa, even a grungy little printed board like that would sell?
    101AnonymousSep 18, 2026 02:46
    Re: #96
    It would've looked nice back when it was new, and even plain plywood used to sell. If it's far from the station, the risk of vagrants moving in goes up too.

    If you'd looked around more, there were livable places out there — you just drew a bad one this time. Next time, study up before you buy.

    Background and Talking Points

    In vacant-house transactions, listing the building price as ¥0 is not unusual. A deteriorated wooden house is barely counted as an asset at all, so most of the sale price is determined by the assessed land value (based on the fixed-asset tax valuation). In the thread, the breakdown of ¥1.7 million for the land plus ¥100,000 for the building was cited as the reason there was little room to negotiate the price down. Vacant houses are also especially vulnerable from a security standpoint until someone actually moves in and locks up or puts up a nameplate — torn shoji screens and stripped ceiling boards are often a mix of pre-sale contractor work and traces left by people who wandered in while the house sat empty. Reviving an old Japanese house (*kominka*) looks easy on TV renovation shows, but termite damage and roof deterioration are hard for amateurs to judge, and the repair costs often end up far higher than expected — a detail that’s easy to overlook.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Livegalileo, a “live news/anything goes” board) thread “I Bought a Run-Down Vacant House on a Whim and I Seriously Regret It.”